Cloisonne is the collective name for copper-bodied filigree enamel (copper-bodied chiseled enamel). Some people have misunderstandings about cloisonne, thinking that cloisonne was fired during the Jingtai period, just like the Xuande furnace was fired during the Xuande period. They are made the same, but they are not. Cloisonne was named because the technology reached its peak during the Jingtai period of the Ming Dynasty. Due to mining and smelting conditions, the color was mainly blue, so it was named "Cloisonne". Because the word "enamel" is a transliteration, cloisonne had many names in the old days, such as "enamel", "falan", "folang", "falang" and so on. According to verifiable information, cloisonne is not our patent, but comes from outside the country. It originated on the island of Cyprus 3,500 years ago, during the Mycenaean cultural period, which happened to be the Shang Dynasty period in China. In 1952, a ring dating back to about 3,300 years ago was unearthed in Europe. The filigree is very clear. This is an early example of enamel craftsmanship that can be seen. This ring is now in the Cyprus Museum. Based on incomplete research on literature and unearthed cultural relics, academic circles have two views on the emergence of craftsmanship in China
1: Tang Dynasty or earlier? It is speculated that this period was because the Tang Dynasty was a prosperous age and there were many foreign dynasties and countries. Among the enshrined crafts are works of filigree enamel craftsmanship, which were later studied and imitated by Chinese craftsmen. It is speculated that it was earlier because China's bronze craftsmanship had reached its peak during the Shang and Zhou dynasties. It happened that the appearance of filigree enamel craftsmanship in world history coincided with China's Shang Dynasty
2: Yuan Dynasty? Speculation about the Yuan Dynasty It appeared because of textual research on documentary records and unearthed cultural relics. Cao Zhao, a scholar in the late Yuan Dynasty, confirmed the existence of cloisonné enamel craftsmanship in "Essentials of Gegu", which was called "Ghost Country Kiln" at the time. The grassland peoples of the Yuan Dynasty were aggressive peoples. When Kublai Khan conquered the Western Regions and Europe, cloisonne was brought back to China as a trophy. The expeditionary army not only brought back cloisonne, but also brought back craftsmen and technology, so there was an improved version of cloisonne in the Yuan Dynasty. Cloisonné is bluish in color and is a cool color. It was not appreciated in the past and was even considered an ominous color. Han culture still preferred red and yellow. But the nomads regard blue as an auspicious color, so after the Mongolian army brought cloisonné back, people gradually combined Chinese and Western techniques and added other techniques and colors.
The cloisonné craft was better developed and extended during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Qianlong, the "Shiquan Old Man" of the Qing Dynasty, was also very fond of cloisonné craftsmanship, and it extended to furniture, tableware, architecture, etc., and later extended to enamel-colored porcelain and so on. In the old days, cloisonne craftsmanship was a craft used by the royal palace. Because the production process was complicated and the production efficiency was low, cloisonne utensils were also used exclusively by the emperor. There are more than a hundred specific production steps of cloisonne craftsmanship, which are passed down orally by master craftsmen, and each master craftsman is only allowed to master one process. During the Republic of China, the court was disbanded, and craftsmen brought craftsmanship to the people. With the development of the times and the innovation of craftsmen, we can see the current cloisonne enamel paintings.